Gas-booster.



P. L. RUMBLE & W. E. VOLZ.

GAS BOOSTER.

APPLICATION FILED APR.30.1918.

Patented Dec. 29, 1914.

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FRANK L. RUMBLE AND WILLIAM E. mm, or PHILADELPHIA, PENNsYLvANrA,

ssIeNons TO THE PnNNsYLvANIA GLOBE eAs LIGHT eoMPANY, or PHILA- DELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A oonPonA'rIoN OF PENNSYLVANIA.

GAS-BOOSTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 29, 1914...

Application filed April 30, 1913. Serial No. 764,485.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, FRANK L. RUMBLE and W'ILLIAM E. VoLz, both citizens of the United States, and residents of Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new and useful Gas-Booster, of which the following is a specification.

Excellentresults in illumination can be produced by supplying gas under pressure higher than that usually to be found in the mains, more especially in connection with fixtures using mantles or incandescents. Hitherto it has been proposed to boost or increase the pressure of the gas and water and electric power were suggested. Manifestly the use of such power was undesirable for various reasons.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a self-contained gas booster driven by gas capable of running on a magneto, of being easily started, and of running without attention continuously and long enough to insure continuous lighting for a number of hours without supervision or adjustment. In other words, to provide a gas driven gas booster which will be simple in construction and so easy of operation that it can be started by any inexperienced person and will thereafter operate without attention for as long a period of time as may be required, usually, however, during the hours of darkness.

The invention will be claimed at the end hereof, but will be first described in connection with the embodiments of it chosen fact that the requirements of a gas booster are that the engine shall run on a magneto, that the engine cylinder be not flooded by lubricating oil and that provision be made for starting the engine in such a way that the magneto will come into proper operation. By the present invention these re quirements are met and a self-contained device or appliance is provided which can be installed readily and conveniently, for example, 1n the cellar of the building to be illuminated and which requires so little attention that all that is necessary is for even an unskilled attendant to start it when the light is required and stop it when the light 15 not required.

Referring to Fig. 1, 1 is a base upon which thevarlous parts are mounted. 2 is a gas engine shown as of the single cylinder type and provided with a fly-wheel 3. 4 is a compressor or blower through which the gas passes and which boosts its pressure. 5, is amagneto driven in the usual way from the fiy-wheel 3. The gas engine and blowerare shown as direct connected by means of the shaft 6. On the shaft 6 is mounted, so as to be free to turn and move end-wise, a gear wheel 7 8, is a collar for limiting the motion of the gear wheel in one direction and 9 is a collar having clutch connection 10 with the gear wheel 7. 11, is a gear wheel provided with. a handle 12 and mounted to turn on a bracket 13 through which the shaft 6 passes so as to be free to revolve. L1 is the gas supply for the engine and it is provided with a valve 15, the handle 16 of which is connected by a link 17 with a lever 18 pivoted to the needle 19 that controls the feed from theoil cup 20 to the engine cylinder. The handle 18 is provided with an end 21 which works on the surface 22 so as to raise and lower the needle when the lever is turned. The construction of the clutch member 10 is such that the gear wheel 7 ma drive the shaft 6, but the shaft 6 when driven faster than the gear wheel 7 runs free of the clutch and moves the gear wheel 7 end-wise on the shaft 6 toward the left in Fig. 1. In use the booster may be assembled complete and installed in any convenient place by making the necessarygas connections. To start the booster the attendant opens the valve 15 by turning the handle 1% so as to admit gas to the cylinder of the engine. The turning of the handle 16, acting through the link 17 shifts the lever 18 in upright position, thus raising the needle 19 and starting the oil feed which continues automatically until the handle 16 is again turned to stop the engine.

brings the gear wheel 7, in Fig. 1, toward Thereupon the operator I crank 12 a turn with the result that the operation and so the engine starts.

shaft 6 is spun rapidly and the rapid spinning of the shaft brings the magneto into As soon as the engine speeds up so that its shaft 6 runs'faster than the gear wheel 7, the gear Wheel is shifted by the elements of the clutch 10 toward the left out of gear or mesh. Thereupon the engine continues to run with proper lubrication and drive the blower or compressor 4, which boosts the pressure of the gas that is supplied to the building. To stop the booster the lever 16 is turned into the position shown in'Fig; 2 and in consequence of this the oil feed is stopped and it is important that the oil feed should be stopped for otherwise the engine cylinder would be flooded. The provision of the speed wheel 11 i for turning the starting wheel 7 very rapidly is important because the shaft 6 must be spun more rapidly in order to make the magneto effective than could be done by hand without some. speed multiplying gear.

' The construction, mode of operation and arrangement of the parts shown in Fig. 3 are the same as has been described in mm nection with Fig. 1, except as will be pointed out. The corresponding parts in Fig. 3 are marked with the same letters havingthe oxponent a. In Fig. 3, the compressor 4 is driven by a belt 23 from the engine shaft 6*. In Fig. 1, the wheels 7 and 11 are of the miter type, whereas in Fig. 3 the corresponding wheels are of the spur gear type.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art to which the invention relates that modifications may be made in details of construction and arrangement without departing from the spirit of the invention, hencewe do not limit ourselves in regard to such matters, nor in any way further than the prior state of the art may require, but

Having thus described the nature and objects of our invention what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- A- gas booster plant comprising the combination of a gas engine, a magneto, driving connection between the engine and the mag neto, a blower, a driving shaft between the engineand blower, an axially movable starting wheel on said driving shaft,-a clutch connectionbetween the starting wheel and driving shaft, and a speed wheel capable of complete revolutions in thesame direction and having a crank and adapted to engage the starting wheel and drive'it fast enough to start the engine and blower and make the magneto operative.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto signed our names.

FRANK L. RUMBLE. WM. E. VOLZ.

Witnesses:

CLIFFORD K. CAssEL, FRANK E. FRENCH. 

